Official Blog of Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet

Deycon continues to keep us entertained with his daily routines. He is awake and in my face between 7:00am and 7:15am every morning. I try to ignore the sniffing and huffing but sometimes it’s too hard and I just give in. First is the breakfast bowl. He doesn’t eat right away, just inspects what’s on the menu. Then it’s out to the yard. Run around twice at least, glancing to make sure I’m still on the deck, and then after barking at anything, and more likely nothing, he bounds up the stairs and goes to eat.

There are times when he’s skittish and it’s humorous when you understand how big he is. There are other times when he’s completely patient. Anyone who follows his FaceBook page knows I get myself into some strange situations. Well, on Mother’s Day, I decided to put up a clothes line since the dryer was no longer working. Putting the first hook into the post on the deck was a piece of cake. The opposite end was not so easy. I used the 6 foot ladder to get up the tree, then climbed several feet higher. Mission accomplished and the second hook was set. The ladder, on the other hand, had fallen and I was stuck. My lovely, devoted, and caring sons (the same ones who attacked me with Nerf guns) said they couldn’t help me, were hurting themselves laughing and called my own fire department for help. (They were blessed with my sense of humor.) Since the call went out as “member of service needs assistance. Unknown situation.” I got the full battalion of help: Village Police, Town Police, private cars, the Rescue Truck and the Engine. After the initial ribbing I took from my fellow volunteers, they waited until one of them could go back to the firehouse and get a video camera to commemorate the occasion. All the while Deycon sat in one place in the yard, ears at attention, just watching the drama unfold: no jumping no cowering and not moving at all. 20 strangers didn’t bother him a bit and he managed to get them to fall in love with him. What’s not to love?

We keep adding to his list of likes, loves and hates. Among the likes and loves is the dog park, pouncing and playing. He has an assortment of stuffed animals and toys. If I am busy or, Heaven forbid, sleeping and he wants to play, he throws the toys and waits for me to play. A week or so ago, he had the now famous caterpillar from PetCo and was tossing it around. Toss and wait watching me. Toss and wait. The last toss I caught through the corner of my eye. It went straight up and landed back on his head. He jumped like a kangaroo and ran! I laughed even harder when he came back. He approached the stuffed toy like a wolf hunting down a chicken. Slow, slow, sniff, sniff, slow…. I had such an urge to make a loud noise, but I knew he might run into something.

Among the hates is, of course, the broom, thunder and fireworks, but on Memorial Day we found another one. I dressed him up in a flag bow tie and we went to the driveway to watch the parade. All the people in cars and walking pointed to him and his bow tie and waved and smiled. He barked back and pranced around. Then came the bands! That was NOT fun….. Deycon can take “Drag Eileen to the back gate to get away from the noise” off his to do list. The ever supportive sons, were rolling around laughing and said that they had told me not to put him on a lead….. Monday morning quarterbacks all of them. The bruise on my right shoulder from hitting the shed is fading.

His bed was getting really well worn so I ordered a new pad to go into it. I guess I should have measured. I have a 58 inch pad and a 46 inch bed. Well now he has two places to sleep and drag around or slide onto. We have this game where I call his name and make a fast move with my hand or foot. He’ll pounce, run around my bed, into the sitting room, through the kitchen, down the mud room hall and back. When he gets to the bedroom he jumps onto his bed and waits. Then we start it all over again. Sometimes I move his bed away from the wall and when he jumps onto it, he slides a bit! Hysterical! Apologies to his Mom and Dad.

My grandson came back to me this weekend and walked into the house as though he had left only an hour ago. Waving over his shoulder, he walked past me and said, “Hi, Nana. Where’s Bear?” I told him Bear went to live with God and he started crying. He said he wanted to say good-bye. Then I told him Deycon was still here and called to the big guy. He came bounding up the stairs and knocked DJ on his keister. That caused all kinds of laughing and playing. DJ stood up and told Deycon that they have to play like big boys now since they’re both almost 4. I have no idea what that means and to be perfectly honest, I’m scared.

That night DJ pulled the two dog beds together, set his pillow on the new mattress and slept next to Deycon. He loves the big guy and they wrestle a lot. I can tell Deycon is being so gentle. He runs into me and bats at my legs when we play, but with DJ he doesn’t even go up on his hind legs. He spends a lot of time on his back rolled over and pawing up at my grandson.

Early the next morning, I dropped a small folding wooden table on my right big toe. I couldn’t talk for a few seconds because I was afraid that words with only 4 letters would spew forth. The swelling and bruising started almost right away. Isn’t it funny how when you have a sore toe, that it’s the only place anyone steps near? Deycon must have stepped on it a dozen times that day and DJ ran over it once or twice. Then DJ tried to get Deycon to kiss the boo boo to make it all better. You have to love it! Poor Deycon had no idea why DJ was on the floor trying to drag him to my foot.

Later that afternoon, I saw Deycon’s protective side again. He and DJ were playing in the yard when all at once Deycon came to attention and stepped in front of my little man. He growled and stepped toward the approaching male. I guess we should have told Deycon that DJ’s dad was coming to visit!

Everyone who has ever had children knows that the best part of any present is the box. I have a box that two down comforters came in and DJ loves it. For most of the day, he was hiding IN the box and we were pretending that he was lost and then were so relieved when he jumped out…. over and over and over. Then my son Brian got lost by staying UNDER it. When he jumped up DJ let out a screech and had a potty accident. It was then his turn to try it on Deycon. Two or three times he was under the box and jumped up at Deycon and startled him. Then Deycon got the idea. DJ was calling him and calling him…. so Deycon swatted the box off DJ and there was another screech of laughter. The final stroke was when the little guy tried again and Deycon went over and just laid down on the extended flap preventing the baby from throwing the box off. You can only fool this big guy just so many times.